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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · net · jam · perch · mouse · shower · pop · cap

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — music
  10. net — for catching
  11. cap — a lid
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. net — after costs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — soda
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — of ice
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. perch — the fish
  22. net — in sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com